When the senior quarterback from Mentor walked out of school that afternoon for Christmas break, it marked the last time he exited the building as a student of the school.

The next time Trubisky sits down in a classroom, it will be Jan. 9, the first day of spring semester classes at the University of North Carolina.

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Trubisky is graduating early from Mentor. While he will return this spring to go through graduation ceremonies with his Mentor classmates, he will do so while being in mid-semester at North Carolina.

Because he had already accumulated enough credits to graduate early from Mentor, and because his grade-point average and test scores were high enough to do so, Trubisky is enrolling early at North Carolina and will go through spring practices this April with Coach Larry Fedora's Tar Heels.

It's a move Trubisky is comfortable with, but one with which he struggled a little to make.

"It's a little bittersweet," said Trubisky, who is not playing basketball this season for the Cardinals so as to start classes early at college. "I'm going to miss playing basketball. But I'm not going to college to play basketball. I'm going to play football, but also be a student and focus on my academics."

Trubisky's senior season on the field was something to behold. He completed 264 of 393 passes for 4,065 yards and 42 touchdowns. He also ran for 835 yards and 18 touchdowns.

His exploits led him to be named Mr. Football in Ohio by the Associated Press. He was also tapped as the state's Gatorade Player of the Year.

While what Trubisky did on the football field is what got him those awards and into a big-time Division I football program, what he did in the classroom is what afforded him the opportunity to enroll early at North Carolina.

The plan was solidified over the summer. If not for good study habits, successful marks in school and an aggressive attitude toward education, Trubisky would not be able to graduate early and get a jump-start on his college career.

Had he not done those things, he would need the next few months to finish his high-school education.

"I take pride in the classroom," said Trubisky, owner of a 3.7 GPA. "When you're a student-athlete, you've got to be good in the classroom."

From Day 1 as a freshman.

You can't make your GPA as a freshman, but you can certainly wreck it.

"You don't want to come into high school joking around," Trubisky said. "You do what you need to do and take as many hard classes as you can. It'll only help you in the end. What you do as a freshman and sophomore affects you when you're a senior. You've got to get your work done -- that's the only advice I can give."

Coach Steve Trivisonno said he was impressed with Trubisky's business-like attitude, not just on the field, but also in the classroom.

"It takes a kid who is academically ready to do it and a kid who maturity-wise is ready to leave school early," Trivisonno said. "It says a lot about him as a kid and student to graduate early."

The reasons to start his college career early are two-fold, first to get a good academic base going and second so as to take part in spring practices with the Tar Heels.

The Tar Heels (8-4, 5-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference), will return four quarterbacks next season. Starter Bryn Renner, a junior, has thrown for 3,356 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. Marquise Williams, the backup, has thrown for 127 yards this year. Also on the depth chart are freshmen Caleb Pressley and Kanler Coker.

"(Renner) will be a redshirt senior next year," Trubisky said. "I'm looking forward to learning from him."

Trubisky said he is open to any role the North Carolina coaching staff has for him. Those plans will become more defined during spring drills, and then again in fall camp come August.

"I am going to work as hard as I can to make the team better," Trubisky said. "If they want to put me in the game or I win a spot, we'll see where it goes from there.

"The earlier I get down there, the more advantage I have to get on the field. I'm going there to compete right away."